


A Fire Within

by Emerald_Jewel05



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst and Humor, Denial, F/M, He's the Fire to Her Ice, Hope, Loss, Revenge, Romance, Self-Discovery, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-12
Updated: 2014-03-17
Packaged: 2018-01-15 11:14:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1302835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emerald_Jewel05/pseuds/Emerald_Jewel05
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An unfortunate past & never before seen gift isolated her from the rest of the world. She's the mistrusting, exotic outcast who prefers to live the shadows of solitude with an impenetrable heart of ice. But Kakashi Hatake wants to change that. Ever since meeting Sayomi, he knew there was more to her than what just meets the eye. She was inexplicably different-special in her own way, despite how she claimed to want absolutely nothing to do with him. <br/>      When a haunting past begins threatening not only her steps, but the steps of others,  Sayomi and Kakashi will be forced together to make some grave choices. As the sparks of fate begin to fly, will it be enough to ignite an everlasting flame?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

"That's it. That's my girl." The old midwife praised, gripping the hand that clung to hers. "You're a strong, strong woman and will soon have your sweet babe. Are the pains still strong? Then take a breath and push again."

The young laboring woman --no older than twenty-four years--glanced up, a weak, trusting smile lighting her face that was matted down with her long blonde curls, damp from sweat; she was a tiny woman, both in height and physique. But her eyes held a strength and willpower that would put any man to shame.

"Yes, Takara…a sweet babe…" she agreed with a gritted whisper. Then, tensing, she bore down with all her might. The contractions soon passed and she fell back, exhausted. Beads of fresh perspiration rolled down her round, flushed cheeks as the old midwife continued attending to her slow-emerging infant. 

"It's almost here, Reira. Its head has made it through..." 

The soon-to-be-mother's heart leapt happily to her throat at the news--but there was very little anyone could do to hasten the emergence of the shoulders, which suddenly seemed too large for the passage. 

The hours-upon-hours struggle with the difficult first-birth seemed as though it would have no end...

But then the clock struck twelve. As its resounding chime signaled that midnight was here, the shoulders at last slipped free. And the baby was finally born.  
Almost immediately, a heavy silence befell the room-- the only sound was of the midwife's own panting breaths mingling with the ragged rasps of the awaiting mother. The babe however, was completely quiet and still. 

"Why isn't it crying?" Reaching down the front of her shirt, the old midwife pulled forth a small blade that she carried between her ample breasts and swiftly but carefully cut away the umbilical cord. Then with the baby in her arms, she wrapped the bloody infant up in a soft towel and gently began rubbing it down. 

"Takara...?"

Responding to its mother's voice, the babe suddenly gasped with life, choking quietly before uttering a strangled cry.  
The sound, weak at first, grew in strength until it filled the small room-- bringing relief, joy and an unmistakable satisfaction that was overwhelmingly felt by both the midwife and new mother with each shuddering, indignant little breath the babe took. 

Takara lifted her age-old grey eyes to Reira and offered a bright, unhurried toothy smile. "She's alright." She informed as she carefully rose to her feet.

Reira Yamamoto gave a subtle gasp of delight, "She??" 

"It's a girl." Moving over to a small table beside the birthing bed, Takara poured a vase with warm water into a porcelain basin. Then, after freeing the infant from the confinements of the blanket, the old midwife gently placed the crying baby girl inside to wash away the remaining bloody goo that still coated her skin. 

As she wiped the unhappy infant down, Takara's movements slowly came to a standstill as her grey eyes took notice of something awfully peculiar. At first, she thought it was just the discoloring of the water, maybe even the room's lighting...but then she looked more closely at the squirming baby in her hands...and realized it was neither of the two. 

Lifting the clean baby out of the bath who's skin bore a healthy pink tint, Takara's eyes ran the length of her tiny infant body and found herself frowning out of perplexity. "I...in all my years...I have never seen something like this..." 

From her spot on the bed, cushioned by pillows on all her sides, Reira wearily sat forward with concern, trying to desperately catch a glimpse of her newborn daughter, "See what?"

Takara moved over to the young mother's side and carefully handed the naked baby off to Reira who took it tenderly with receiving arms. "The marks...."

The young mother cradled her whimpering infant close to her bosom, allowing her eyes to carefully look her newborn over. Sure enough, there was indeed a strange discoloration on her baby's skin-- black stripe-like markings ran down the side length of her body. They started from the tops of her shoulders and made their way down her arms, continuing lower onto her ribs, hips and legs before stopping right at the ankles of her feet. 

Reira calmly brushed a tiny striped arm with a caressing finger, then she gently moved her hand up to cup her daughter's head, stroking her thumb across the light patch of aqua-green hair, no thicker than peach fuzz, that was already growing. "What do they mean, Takara?" 

The baby, with her eyes closed shut tight, restlessly wiggled in Reira's arms as her tiny mouth opened with another cry. At once, the young mother rocked her gently, cooing quietly. "There, there, little one...it's alright..." Soothed almost immediately, her baby relaxed and obediently settled back down to brief little whimpering noises.

The old midwife watched the pair as she slowly shook her head, "I don't know....markings such as those don't just appear through genetics. At least not on a newborn." Takara shifted warily on her feet, "....something about it just doesn't feel normal..." 

Reira's blonde head turned sharply, fixing Takara with an abrupt cool gaze as she subconsciously held her tiny daughter closer to her breasts as though she feared her child would suddenly be snatched away. "Doesn't feel normal?" she repeated, frowning subtly at Takara's word choice, "...my baby is alive and healthy, isn't she?" 

"She appears so, yes...." 

"So why does it matter if she bears some interesting birthmarks?" Reira's defense was swift and firm though her face carried a steady air of calmness. Turning her attention back onto her baby, the young woman stared down into the little resting face she gave life to and started to smile, "...I have a feeling that they'll make her unique." 

Takara gave a silent, agreeing snort, "You can say that again...." This child's looks will stick out like a sore thumb among the other villagers, she thought knowingly. Approaching  
Reira's side once more, she laid an aging hand on the baby's belly, "So what will you call this little oddball?" 

At the playful jab, Reira bit back a smile, chewing her lower lip with her teeth as she vigorously contemplated the question. Her eyes never once left her baby's face as they traced her every detail over with fine accuracy. "Hmm....what indeed..." she replied tenderly. "I want my daughter's name to have meaning after all..."

Leaning down, the young woman planted a warm, motherly kiss across the top of her baby's forehead. The girl infant stirred from her rest, her face scrunching with light displeasure from being woken up before her features once again softened a moment later. Then, she opened her eyes.

Reira felt the very breath leave her body the instant her daughter's eyes met her own for the first time. Unlike her own which held the welcoming color of summer violets, her daughter's eyes were far darker--they were swirling orbs of rich indigo. 

"Such beautiful...intensive eyes..." Reira adoringly murmured the words out loud, feeling her heart swell by the second with an unshakable love that only a mother could understand. In that moment, she knew the perfect name for her daughter. 

"Sayomi...." The young woman declared with a nod of her blonde head, "...her name will be Sayomi." 

"Sayomi Yamamoto, huh?" Takara repeated the name thoughtfully before smiling. " ....a suitable name." she settled.

Reira smiled down on her tiny baby girl in her arms, "My precious, little night beauty..." She kissed her daughter's head once more, "....I will always love and protect you."


	2. A Mother's Sacrifice

They came during the night, without a single sign or warning, looking for something. By the time the people of the small village hidden in the Wilderness discovered their presence, it would already be too late. Houses were torn apart and ravaged by flames, and those who resisted were immediately slaughtered. 

The streets ran red with spilt blood, the cries of the people filled the black sky. As smoke from the fires thickened the night air, a lone figure darted swiftly into the protective trees of the dark forest that surrounded their village--taking shelter within its shadows as the small house behind him burned to the ground. 

Clad in a shrouding cloak of navy blue, it flowed out behind him like running water. His steps were light, hardly detectable by the untrained ear, and with a hood drawn up over his head, the figure's identify was left unknown. His upper body carried a slight hunch, his head was bowed as his arms cradled the precious cargo he bore-wrapped securely in a blanket-close to his chest. 

As the figure ventured further into the forest, away from all the chaos and destruction, everything fell into a false stillness and silence. The only exception came from the heavy breaths figure himself took. 

But then, a twig snapped...and almost instantly, the atmosphere was laced with an apparent danger--an ominous threat. 

A pair of alert, violet eyes widened behind the hood, and instinctively the figure tightened his hold on the parcel he carried.

“So…” the figure thought to himself, “…I've been followed.” A small part of him wasn't entirely surprised.... but that didn't prevent the sickening clutch of dread from seizing it's hold over him. Feeling the eminence of his enemy’s chakra presence as though they were actually breathing right down his neck, the figure skidded to a sudden stop. There would be no way getting around it, he thought to himself knowingly as his eyes carefully searched the area. He would have to fight. 

The figure opened his mouth and fearlessly called out to the one who was listening. “Enough of this….show yourself!” The demand was fierce. 

“Reira….” A male voice had called back. 

The figure gasped quietly, instantly recognizing the vocal patterns before straightening up and turning slowly around to face the opponent head on. When two violet eyes landed on a familiar face, the figure froze up.  
“Kai?” the figure whispered in disbelief. Shifting the bundle to only one arm, the cloaked stature used his free hand to reach up and push the hood off his head to reveal his face--a face which did not belong to a man at all...but instead a lovely woman. 

As the dark hood fell away, long hair of golden blonde that fell about the shoulders and back instantly caught the light of the moon above, setting the top of the head aglow. Her flawless, round face was then illuminated, along with two rich violet eyes that were framed with heavy dark lashes. They stared perplexedly across into the known face of the enemy.  
Her adversary stood tall just feet away; his extensive, dark blue hair was styled in a simple ponytail that hung down his neck, his face-striking in its male detail-displayed no hint of friendly recognition for the woman before him-- even his sapphire eyes were without feeling.  
“Kai….” She began, her confusion showing clearly on her face, “…wha..?” her question was cut short when she noticed something incredibly off about her old childhood comrade. His presence was unwelcoming. Reira's eyes narrowed with newfound suspicion. “Why have you come, Kai?” she demanded. 

Kai only stared, his silence amplifying Reira's obvious tension .  
After a moment, a tiny smirk appeared on his face before the man chuckled. “Isn’t it obvious?” He pointed out while crossing his arms over his broad chest. “I’m here for you.” He answered.

That was when Reira spotted the kunai blade he held clutched in one hand.  
Bringing her eyes back up to his, Reira softly shook her head, “I don’t understand…” she breathed out. Here for her? But why? It wasn't as though he was presenting himself as a form of protection--if anything...the vibes he gave off screamed for the opposite. 

Dismay instantly gripped the young woman by the heart, “….…are you trying to tell me that…” her voice carried off. She was unable to finish the sentence as another distant cry of pain rang aloud from her village, instantly drawing her attention away from the man before her. When Reira finally turned back to Kai, he nodded his head silently.  
Reira drew in a shaky breath, her fears suddenly confirmed, “You’re with them? The ones attacking the village?”  
Again, Kai nodded. Swallowing softly, Reira once again eyed the blade he carried with hurtful eyes, “Oh Kai…” She paused for a brief second, “Why?”  
Kai laughed, it was a low and equally dark sound, “So you haven't figured it out yet, huh?” He returned; his arctic blue eyes then flickered down to the bundle that Reira carried in her arms.  
At once, the woman tensed before taking a couple defensive steps back; stopping only when the heels of her sandals touched the back of a tree trunk that resided behind her. “Wait...” She answered disbelievingly. “..y..you mean....she's the target??”  
Kai chuckled, “Are you really surprised, Reira? As her mother, you of all people should've known there was something unnatural about that girl....as if the marks didn't say enough. "

Reira frowned, her eyes flashing with immediate anger, "My child is different...but that doesn't make her unnatural." she argued. "...She's still human!" 

"But freakishly so." Kai returned, "...and it's for that reason, that she's become somebody's objective." 

"Somebody's?" Reira scoffed, "...so what, that makes you the lap dog, does it?" 

Kai's mouth turned down into a scowl, "Well…let’s just say someone made me a business proposition I couldn’t refuse.” He answered. Slowly, the man started advancing.  
Reira’s eyes thinned with warning, “Stop right there, Kai.” She told him in an icy cold tone, “….don’t you take one step further.”  
Kai continued sauntering forward, paying the woman's order no heed until a tiny, soft voice that came from the bundle she held, stopped him in his tracks. “Mommy??” the voice asked in both confusion and sleepiness.

A small hand came into view, and warily pulled back the top of the cloth that shielded its head. The round face of a girl child, barely six years of age, who's features bore immense similarities to Reira’s, was revealed. Mother and daughter were silent when the two locked eyes.  
Kai, looking back and forth from one then other, started to laugh, “Oh, how adorable. “he sneered as he set his eyes directly on the little girl in her mother’s arms. “We’ve been looking for you, my dear.” Reira pulled her gaze away from her child and watched as sickening smile crept onto Kai's face. In just moment's her stomach twisted into a tight knot.  
Slowly, carefully, she set her young girl down on her feet. “You heartless bastard…” she whispered out loud, her voice dripping with outrage as she then protectively pushed her daughter behind her form so that her child was hidden from Kai's sight. "I'll die first before I'll ever let you take her!" Reira promised as she reached into her cloak and pulled out a Kunai blade of her own.  
Kai smirked at the woman's display of bravery, "Hmm…" He murmured as if considering her words.  
"Mommy?" The girl's questioning voice spoke up again as she reached up and lightly grasped the folds of her mother's cloak in uncertainty about the situation, leaning out slightly to see what was going on before her.  
"Sayomi, stay back there!" her mother directly ordered; Reira's violet eyes never once left the face of Kai, not even for a second.  
"Just give it up, Reira." Kai stated as he once again started advancing, "You'll soon be outnumbered, anyways." He added in a lower tone. A look of triumph shined brightly within his blue eyes.  
Refusing to submit, Reira took a daring step forward and softly called back over her shoulder, "Sayomi…." She began, staring fearlessly across at Kai, "….I need you to do something for me, my pet."  
Watching her mother's back like a hawk, Sayomi nodded her head obediently, "What mommy?" she replied.  
"Remember our secret spot?"

The girl thought the question over hard, "Where we built our fortress??" 

Fortress? Reira's eyes closed with a brief, loving smile as she remembered the snug fort the two of them made out of wood, tarp and sheets on a summer afternoon, "That's the one."

"Mmhmm..."

"Good...." Reira's eyes swept open once again and found Kai watched her intently, "...I need you to run….run away from here." she carried on, "...you must get yourself to that fortress, where you will be safe..."  
The little girl gasped, her indigo eyes widening with fright, "…but…but mom..."  
"Do not argue with me on this, my darling. Just do what you were told." Reira replied firmly as she tightened her hold on her kunai blade.  
Hesitantly, little Sayomi began taking small, side steps out from behind her mother. "Okay..."  
Kai, seeing what was happening, quickly moved in. "Oh, no you don't." he stated as he lunged for the little girl. 

There was a loud clashing sound of metal when his kunai blade crossed with Reira's who had swiftly moved out into his path to defend her child and help her escape.  
"Sayomi…" Reira spoke through gritted teeth as she struggled to hold her ground against Kai's strength, "Run now!" She encouraged. ".... don't look back until your safe…." She added while turning her head slightly to meet her frightened daughter's confused eyes for what she felt would be the last time, "…I'll come find you as soon as I can." she promised with a reassuring smile, "...I love you."  
Seeing the beseeching way her mother looked upon her, Sayomi's eyes filled tears, "I love you too, mommy..." It was almost as though she knew that her mother was really saying goodbye. Spinning on her heel, the little girl fled into the trees as fast as her short legs could move.  
"You won't get away!" Kai growled as he tried pulling back from Reira to go after the girl. 

Determined to stop Kai, Reira persistently shadowed his movements, using herself as an obstacle to buy her daughter time. "And you're not getting past me!!" Their blades crossed again, fighting for dominance.

"Then you leave me with no choice..." Kai's free hand abruptly swung out, and struck Reira across her face. Using the blow to his complete advantage, the man then kicked the woman's Kunai from her grasp. It fell to the ground at their feet with a quiet plop. Disarmed and exposed, Kai moved in and plunged his blade hilt deep into Reira's stomach.  
Reira's violet eyes grew wide from shock and a look of pain came over her lovely face. As a strangled gasp escaped past her lips, her hands came up and clutched Kai's arm to her--keeping him anchored where he stood before her. 

She held onto him with unbelievable strength-- Kai's own eyes widened at the woman's bold move.  
"I won't let... you bastards….take her." She breathed out. 

Kai blinked before he slowly shook his head, watching as Reira's face slowly began to pale as her wound continued bleeding out, "You always had to do things the hard way." He spoke in lowered tone, frowning. "You should have just left her to me…." Kai hissed through his teeth, "….because now, Reira, you will die." He informed. 

With a quick twist of his wrist and jerk of his hand, Kai broke the woman's grasp, roughly pulling the blade out as Reira fell to her knees.

Her hands automatically moved to cover her fatal wound. Gasping, Reira raised her eyes up to Kai who stood towering over her form with the bloody kunai blade, glistening wet from her blood, still clutched in his hand.  
Though her strength was waning by the minute, Reira continued staring fearlessly up at Kai, "At least I can die knowing that I did all that I could to spare her from the likes of you!" she venomously spat back. A crimson trickle of blood slowly ran down the left corner of her mouth.  
Kai scoffed, "You think this pathetic display of yours will be enough to stop us?" he asked, "Your precious daughter won't get far, mark my words---we will find her. And if it's not us, it will be someone else. Whatever she is..or represents....it won't just go unnoticed." He pointed out to the dying woman.  
Drawing in a few final deep breaths, Reira shook her head, "Maybe…maybe not…" she exhaled out as her head slowly bowed.  
"She can't hide forever, you know." He added.  
To his surprise, Reira smiled weakly as she briefly glanced up and met Kai's harsh scrutiny, "….she won't have to." 

Kai's eyes widened. There was a secret meaning behind her words, he just knew it. Why else would she have smiled? Could it be... that Reira had already known the truth behind her marked-child? 

Dropping into a crouch before her, Kai seized the dying woman painfully by her shoulders, "...So you know, don't you?" he asked, his eyes gleaming fiercely, "...you know what she is??!"

Reira's chin raised itself high as she stared brazenly into Kai's sapphire gaze, "She is...." she spoke slowly, allowing the meaningful smile on her face to widen just a bit more, ".....my daughter." Gritting his teeth with dissatisfaction, Kai released her. Then with a final sigh and the smile still upon her face, Reira closed her violet eyes with ease and fell to the ground, lifeless.  
Staring down at the fallen woman before him, Kai frowned hard at Reira's last words. "Da...damn that woman....." She had known---he could see that she did, shining within her violet orbs. 

A realization that meant that with her death, she takes the full secret about her only child to the grave. "Well....no doubt this will prove to be bothersome down the line."  
But he would have to worry about that later. With a brief shake of his blue head, Kai turned away to stare out into the line of trees where he had seen Reira's child disappear into. Without wasting another moment, he swiftly sped off fast pursuit of the girl.


	3. The Little Runaway

Leaves and twigs crunched beneath Sayomi’s bare feet while limbs from low trees and thorny brushes snagged and tore at her skin and night clothes. It was abnormally dark in the forest, foggy too. With everything looking so unfamiliar along with the fact that she was now all alone, Sayomi felt for the first time in her life, a deep twinge of fear settle inside her young frame.

As the girl's indigo eyes stung from unshed tears, her vision also grew blurry, allowing a small dip in the ground to catch her ankle and give it a painful twist.  
“Oww!” she yelped as she fell, face first to the ground, landing hard on her hands and knees. While Sayomi took this opportunity to catch her breath, a twig snapped from somewhere close and before the young girl could blink, she was ruthlessly grabbed from behind.

A powerful arm wrapped itself tightly around her waist while a large hand took hold of her hair and pulled her off the ground. She screamed in terror as well as pain before her head turned back over her shoulder to glance into the face of her captor. 

Two emerald green eyes bore cruelly into hers from a snarling face with short-cut, mud brown hair. This man was not the one from earlier--the one named Kai. This man was shorter, and had a more narrow build. But nonetheless....he looked just as cold ruthless.

“Well, well, well, “Snickered the voice of her captor, “Lookey at what I’ve found.” He stated with a sharp grin. 

Sayomi’s eyes widened before she frowned, an expression mixed from both anger and panic. Wildly, she thrashed her legs out in an attempt to kick back at the man holding her.  
“Let go!!” She demanded as she brought her tiny hands up to try and pry the hand that was wrapped around her waist away so that she could get free. The man chuckled before he painfully tightened his grip. 

Sayomi gasped in response, her eyes squeezing shut at the unfriendly pressure being exerted on her tiny girl body.

“I don’t think a little brat like you is in any position for giving orders at the moment.” The man replied.

“Ishio!” Called another voice. 

Sayomi’s eyes opened back up; and by barely turning her head to the left, she spotted the one called Kai approaching . With him, was another large and fierce looking man. He wore all black with a mask that covered nearly all of his face besides his eyes. 

As they came to a stop before them, he spared a hard glance down on Sayomi--- his eyes narrowing with a heavy examination at the sight of her helpless form.  
“So….” He began, “…is this it?” he asked as his eyes, the color of coal, gave the girl a slow, once over.

The man named Ishio, roughly tugged on Sayomi’s aqua green hair, forcing her head back slightly. “Well Kai?” Ishio threw back, his green eyes darting over to stare at his friend with the icy sapphire eyes. 

The man, Kai- who appeared to be in his late-twenties-took a couple steps forward, closing the distance off between him and the girl before he reached out a hand and firmly pinched her chin with his forefinger and thumb as he inspected her face. 

Sayomi watched silently, her heart pounding like a drum within her chest as the man’s blue eyes traced over her face for a few seconds before he released her and stepped away.  
“That’s the one.” He answered before he turned to the second masked man who was with them, “Makato?” 

The second, larger man with the mask stepped up alongside of Kai, staring long and hard down at Sayomi in Ishio’s hold. His dark eyes took in her every detail--from her aqua green hair that would've reached her shoulders had Ishio not been gripping it back, her deep indigo purple eyes that were wide with fright, to finally the black stripe like marks that appeared on her arms. Giving a nod of his head in satisfaction, Makato took a step back, turning away from the other two men.  
“Let’s get her back to base.” He stated. "I want the tests done as soon as possible. He was obviously the leader of this pack.

"Tests?" she repeated as her eyes darted back and forth between the three men. Frantically, Sayomi shook her head in protest before she once again started struggled against Ishio's hold, “No!” she cried, “…Mommy?! Where’s my mommy?” she cried. 

Ishio released her hair form his grasp only to then use his free hand to come down and cover her mouth, all the while bending his head down to her ear. “Hush.” He ordered in low voice. 

Sayomi tensed at his nearness and whimpered loudly against his restraining hand. Desperate, the little girl opened her mouth and bit down on one of Ishio’s fingers. 

He howled briefly in pain, retracting his hand away from her mouth allowing her to unleash a bloodcurdling scream. “Mommy!!!!”

“Damn it, Ishio.” Makato swore in an irritated tone, “…gag the brat if you must but keep her quiet.” He ordered.

Ishio growled quietly as his hand came back up and roughly took Sayomi by her jaw with bruising force. “Shut it!” he hissed. 

Kai lightly scoffed, “Like yelling would do her any good, anyways.” he suddenly spoke up. “She can yell all she wants, no one is going to come running.” He assured. “….especially not her mother.” He added coolly.

Hearing those words, Sayomi drew in a sharp gasp--- a knot of dismay instantly forming in the pit of her stomach. She turned her wide stricken eyes upon Kai, desperate in search for a disproving answer. 

Noticing this, Kai averted his attention and looked away.

“Killed the wench, did you Kai?” Ishio asked with a quick chuckle. 

The man gave an unfeeling shrug in response, “She brought it upon herself.” Kai answered.

At Kai’s confession, Sayomi’s heart constricted tightly within her chest. “No…..” she told herself, “…it can’t be true….mommy…she...she can’t be…dead…” Jerking herself free from Ishio’s hold, Sayomi threw herself against the man’s arm in an attempt to lunge at Kai, “You lie!!” she screamed at him while tears flooded her eyes.

Looking back at the small girl, Kai fixed her with a direct look. Then, he opened his mouth and spoke in the most gravest of tones, “You’d like to think so, wouldn't you?” he returned before he nodded over at Ishio. “Come on…throw her over your shoulder.... let’s get moving before reinforcements start showing up.”

“Mommy is dead…” Sayomi whispered out loud to herself, “…Kai...killed her...” At once, her tiny frame began shaking with grief as she threw back her head to cry out to the heavens above. “Nooooo!!!!!” she wailed as her eyes sealing themselves shut with anguish. 

A large fist abruptly came down on her head after that. The blow was heavy and it swiftly brought her cry to an end. “Mo...mmy….” She breathed the word out as an image of her mother’s lovely and smiling face came to mind. Then, the young girl slumped into a deep unconsciousness.

With the child still and quiet, Ishio swiftly scooped her small frame up into his arms before he draped her over his right shoulder. “That ought to shut her up for a bit.” He announced to his posse with a tiny grin. 

Not needing another word spoken, the three men turned and faced north before they swiftly set out together with their prize upon their backs.   
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

When Sayomi woke up, she was lying on a dirt floor. It was cold, and the air smelled thickly of nature's sweet pine . Her eyes blinked a few times as they attempted to focus in on her new surroundings.  
When her vision cleared at last, she found herself lying by a burning camp fire that had been built upon a flat, cleared out area by the woods. The heat from the fire was searing her back, making her hot and uncomfortable.   
She wiggled herself up into a sitting position, instantly noting that she had been tied up at wrists and ankles. By now, the moon had long disappeared from sight and in its place was the rising of the early morning sun.

“Ah look…”Came Ishio’s voice, “….it’s up.” He stated, his voice coming from behind her. 

Sayomi gasped before she quickly turned her body around to see Ishio, Kai and Makato all sitting around the fire; all their eyes were fixed directed upon her.   
“Good.” Makato replied as he looked over at his two subordinates and nodded his masked head, “Kai, Ishio…you know what to do.” 

The two men nodded back in understanding, “Right.” They replied in unison before they got to their feet and walked over to where Sayomi was sitting. As they approached her in a couple, long strides, she in return, scooted away in fear. 

“Now don’t make this harder than it has to be.” Ishio stated as he dropped to the ground behind her, preventing further escape from their advances. His large, calloused hands closed tightly around her bound forearms and extended them out for his partner. “You got it, Kai?” He asked.

Kai then reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small object with which he held as he squatted down in front of Sayomi. Supporting one of the girl's scrawny limbs with a hand beneath her elbow, he brought the tool down to the crook of the girl’s arm. “Yeah, I got it.”   
A needle--thick and sharp-- pierced the delicate skin on her arm, sinking deep into the tissue and muscle. 

Sayomi gasped in pain and instinctively tried drawing her arm back but the two men only tightened their grip. As she watched what was taking place, she spotted a small capsule above the instrument. It was about an inch around and two inches in length and it was slowly filling up with a dark, burgundy liquid. Her blood. 

When the glass capsule had filled itself to its full capacity, Kai withdrew the needle and brought it close to his face so that he could assess what he had just collected.   
“Done…” Kai announced, his eyes staring intently at syringe in front of his eyes, as though he were looking for unspoken answers. 

Once the deed was done, the two men then got back up to their feet. “Excellent.” Makato stated with slight approval in his voice, “…keep that sample in good condition. It may come in handy in the future.” He added as he set his dark eyes upon Sayomi. 

Under his intense gaze, Sayomi cringed and looked away; her head bowing itself so that she could stare down at her bound hands. 

After a few minutes of silence, Kai once again spoke up. “So what were we planning on doing with her exactly, Makato?” he asked. 

Makato spared him a brief glance before glaring back down on Sayomi. “I’ve got a few ideas…” he answered in a menacing tone, one that sent new shivers of fear down Sayomi’s spine.

It was in that exact moment that Sayomi was struck with an important realization--- that no matter what, she needed to get away from these men. It was what her mother had wanted. “I’ve got to go to the bathroom!” she had blurted the lie out desperately. 

The three men went silent for a few seconds, sparing each other a quick glance because of the girl’s declaration. Then when all three pairs of eyes were all directed on her once again, Sayomi started wiggling and squirming in her sitting position. “Please misters…” she begged with wide, believable eyes, “…when you gotta go, you gotta go.” She stated innocently.

Makato raised a hand up and slapped his forehead, “Ohhh…” he groaned and shook his head.  
Ishio threw both his hands up in a surrendering gesture, “Shit, I’m not having any part of this.” He stated. "Not in my contract."

Kai first looked to Makato then to Ishio before rolling his blue eyes, “Whatever.” He grumbled as he moved back over to where Sayomi sat. He took a knee before her and swiftly untied the bindings around her ankles. Then, taking a firm, almost painful grip on her elbows, Kai helped Sayomi get to her feet before he turned her about and nudged her over to a line of trees that signified the forests' border. They walk a few feet out before Kai gave her a forceful push towards the closest tree.

“Make it quick.” He said.

Sayomi quickly examined the tree size; it wasn’t big but it would give her some privacy. However there was still the problem of the unwanted escort. Turning around to face Kai, Sayomi shyly began rocking back and forth on her feet, “Umm...I can’t go when someone’s watching.” She stated. 

Kai rolled his eyes for a second time as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. The man then slowly turned around so that his back faced Sayomi.

“I don’t trust you.." the girl argued defensively, "....you’ll look!” Sayomi quickly threw back.

Kai’s head snapped around at her words with a you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me look displaying across his fairly handsome face. 

Sayomi however stood her ground and frowned. 

“Go behind the tree then." Kai directed with a scowl of his own. "...But you only get a minute. If you’re not done, I’m coming back there whether you’re ready or not, got it?” his deep voice held the unmistakable warning---his icy sapphire eyes also reflected promise of fulfilling it.

Nodding her head in agreement, Sayomi turned away from the man and swiftly moved around the tree till she was out of his sight.  
Leaning back against its strong base, Sayomi closed her eyes and let out a long, yet silent sigh. “Okay…” she told herself, “…now’s my chance.” She added with a determination she knew would make her mommy proud. 

Turning her head over her shoulder to glance around the tree, Sayomi saw that Kai still stood tall with his back facing her--seeing his attention was still obviously diverted, the young girl quickly inched away and took back off into the trees.


	4. Rescued and Secured

A pair of bright blue eyes- belonging to a young man with vibrant, spiky, yellow hair- watched in tranquility as the sun continued shining its warm light upon the valley he was standing above.

The man was dressed in the standard attire of a Leaf Shinobi which consisted of dark grey pants, an earthy green vest on top of a dark long sleeved shirt, with a metal-plated headband on which the Leaf Village's symbol was inscribed. He was a handsome man to say the least and to many, he was known as Namikaze Minato- the Fourth Hokage.

With his hands tucked comfortably in his front pockets, Minato leisurely walked down the trail that would take him to the valley floor. As he reached the flat, green earth, he inhaled a deep breath of fresh air through his nose, savoring the pleasing aroma that belonged to nature.

"It's awfully quiet around here." He stated to himself out loud. Not that he minded. Quiet was always a nice change here and there since things were rarely quiet with him back in his village-especially with his team of three young Genin.

With two of his students, both being boys who had completely opposite personalities, they were constantly going at each other's necks. Luckily, the last one however, the only girl on his team, was far easier at maintaining her emotions.

Needless to say, they made one heck of a team. However, a part of him did wish to see the day that those two boys, Obito and Kakashi, would finally come to terms with one another. "Things would certainly be a little less noisy if they weren't bickering all the time." Minato stated with a brief chuckle to himself.

As the blonde man continued to walk the area, coming close to where the valley meshed into a forest, suddenly, he started sensing an unfamiliar presence. It was a strange combination of Chakra and something else…something he couldn't explain for it was unlike anything he's ever felt before. Stopping at the forest's entrance, Minato stared off into the trees. "Odd…" he murmured softly as his blonde brows furrowed in deep thought. "I wonder what that cou…"

Before he could finish his sentence, his thoughts were interrupted by a distant, young cry. Sensing the distress from within the shady line of tress , "Oh!" he gasped. Letting his instinct take over, Minato quickly took off into woods in search of answering that cry for help.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It didn't surprise Sayomi necessarily that the three men had caught up with her. However, she didn't think they would've done it so quickly.

One minute, Sayomi was sprinting fast through the woods, weaving her way through the trees, using them as barriers in case she was actually being followed-next thing she knew, a large weighty mass crashed into her form from behind taking her down to the ground with it landing on top. The girl cried out in shock before she had the wind knocked right out of her body when she landed hard on her stomach.

"You stupid brat!" She heard Ishio hiss into her ear from behind as he painfully gripped her arms which were behind held behind her back now, "Thought you could escape, huh?" he asked as dropped her limbs and quickly rose to his feet so that he stood above Sayomi's fallen form.

She whimpered in response.

He then took a step towards her cowering figure, nudging her in the back with his foot. Another cry came from her at the contact before she made an attempt at crawling away.

Barely making it a foot, she was then roughly seized by her hair and jerked to sit tall on her knees by Ishio. "Hey, did I say you could move?" He asked while he wrenched unforgivably on her hair.

Pain-filled tears now flowed freely down Sayomi's round cheeks before dropping off her chin. Her small hands came up to hold her throbbing head in pain.

"Awe I'm sorry did that hurt?" he mockingly asked.

She sniffled in response and faintly nodded her head.

"Well don't worry precious…" He sneered as he dropped down to a squatting position behind her while a single hand came around her front to hold a sharp kunai blade up against her throat. "I can always just put you out of your misery." He stated as he forced her head upwards to better expose her neck to his deadly weapon.

"Ishio!" Came the firm voice of Kai as he suddenly appeared out of nowhere before them, "Stop fooling around." He said, "…you know we can't kill her. She's too valuable."

Ishio growled in response, "Valuable?" he replied with a snarl, "She's a pain in our asses." He corrected.

"She'll learn obedience." Kai promised as his icy unfeeling sapphire eyes landed on Sayomi's tear-stained face.

"Yes…" Came Makato's voice in agreement as he too dropped in on the group, "...she will. And pain will be her teacher." He added as he slowly came to stand directly in front of Sayomi. Raising a hand up from his side, he brought the back of it across Sayomi's left cheek, cleanly cuffing her across the face.

The force of his blow snapped her head to the side as she emitted a brief scream of hurt-leaving her skin stinging as though it had been touched with fire.

"If you think that was bad…" Makato began, his hand readying into a large fist, "…wait till…Nagh!" he howled as a kunai blade unexpectedly came down and grazed his right bicep. Using one hand to cover the small, bleeding gash, Makato, followed by Kai and Ishio, all turned in the direction from which the blade came from.

As their eyes landed on the form of Minato, each men growled in rage.

"Haven't you strayed a bit too far from you're village, Leaf Shinobi?" Makato asked as his dark eyes narrowed at the young yellowed haired man, instantly recognizing where he was from by the headband he wore.

Minato's blue eyes narrowed as well, "Perhaps," he replied in a low tone as his eyes fell upon the tiny girl who was ruthlessly clutched in their hold , "…considering something as despicable as this is actually taking place." he paused for a brief second to quickly look Sayomi over who was now watching him with wide, frightened and curious eyes, "…didn't anyone ever teach you to pick on somebody your own size?"

Ishio snarled before he pressed his kunai back up against Sayomi's throat, "This is none of your concern Leaf Shinobi. Go back to your village." He declared.

"Hmm…." Minato answered as he thought about Ishio's words while he analyzed the situation, "…no." he replied, "…I'm afraid I can't do that. Now I'm going to have to ask you…to let the girl go."

Makato chuckled and shook his head, "Such arrogance." He stated, "…who are you to be giving us orders?" he questioned.

"If you're not going to cooperate, then I shall remove that girl from you by force." Minato returned coolly as he reached into his ninja pouch behind him and pulled out another Kunai Blade.

At this, the three men chuckled together before Kai finally stepped up, "And I suppose you expect us to just cower before you and give in to your demands, right?"

Minato frowned, "If you choose to do this the hard way, suit yourself. I can work both ways." He warned.

"Piss off!" Ishio spat.

Well that settled it. Straightening up to his full height, Minato gave a slight nod of his head, "Ok then."

In a yellow flash, too hard to follow with normal sight, the Leaf Shinobi went from up on the tree branch, to down on the ground right inside the group of men. Going first for Ishio, he broke the man's hold on the little girl before grabbing him by the scuff of his shirt and throwing him directly back into a tree behind him.

While their one comrade went flying, Kai and Makato quickly pulled out their own weapons and charged at Minato who was all ready to take them both on at once.

Sayomi stumbled back from the fight, her eyes trying to focus in on what was going on. But everything...everyone was moving too fast. It made her head spin. Overwhelmed by dizziness, she dropped to her knees upon the ground only to then bring her hands up to cradle her aching head for a few moments-just until she could regain composure. Meanwhile, the sounds of clanging metal weapons, grunts of pain and struggles continued filling her ears for a couple minutes more.

And then...everything was silent.

"Huh?" Sayomi slowly lowered her hands back down to her side. Lifting her head, relief flooded onto her face as she saw Makato, Kai and Ishio swiftly retreating back into the trees. They had lost the fight.

"This isn't over, Leaf Shinobi!" Makato called back before the three of them disappeared from sight.

Perplexed at just what had happened, Sayomi blinked a couple times before she turned her head around in search of the man who had saved her. She didn't have to look far though, for in one easy yet startling movement, he was already down on his knees before her.

"Are you alright?" The deep concern in his voice was heartwarming for her to hear as Sayomi continued staring hard into his welcoming, blue eyes in shock.

Seeing her speechlessness, Minato raised a hand up to his head and closed his eyes while giving a small smile.

Next thing Sayomi knew, her eyes were rolling into the back of her head as she collapsed right then and there into the Leaf Shinobi's arms.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gazing sympathetically down at the small girl in his arms who had just fainted from fright, Minato softly shook his blonde head, "The poor thing…" he whispered out loud while he gently cradled her small body close and rose to his feet. She was so tiny, he noted to himself. If she was awake and standing, her head wouldn't have even surpassed where his hips were.

Not only that, but Minato couldn't seem to make out where this little one had come from in the first place. She wore no crest or symbol that represented her village or clan...in fact, the only thing he could see clearly were the unusual black stripe-like marks running down her bare arms. With the girl in his possession now, he was able to take notice the air of difference that hung about this child. He didn't know what...but he did know something was radiating off this tiny form. It was the strange chakra presence he had sensed earlier.

And with that realization, there came multiple questions that filled Minato's mind.

"Who is this girl?" he asked himself at loud as his eyes traced over the girl's unconscious face. Better yet, " What did those men want with her?"

Knowing a man who may have some answers to this new found mystery, Minato, with the child safe and secure in his arms, turned to set off for home in the Hidden Leaf Village...  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few hours later, Minato entered the grand office of the Third Hokage- nodding his head respectfully at the older man sitting behind a rather large wooden desk. The aging man looked up at him with calm eyes,

"Minato…" he stared, "…You're back." He stated in an unsurprised tone.

"Hiruzen…" Minato replied as he stepped further into the office, coming to stand before the older man.

"How did the negoti…."The Hokage started to ask but stopped his sentence midway when his eyes landed on the small unconscious child in Minato's arms. "….Er...perhaps I missed something?" he stated curiously.

"Uhh…" said Minato as he too looked down on the girl he carried, "Well sir, everything went as it should; mission was a success. But then, on my way back, I stumbled upon something unexpected." He explained.

Raising a single eyebrow as his eyes darted back down to the girl, the Third nodded his aging head in encouragement, "Go on, Minato."

"I discovered this girl in the hold of three men, they were possibly rogue ninja, and they weren't with her on friendly terms."

"Hostile?" The Third guessed coolly; Minato nodded his head,

"Very. And they weren't at all pleased when I had interfered."

Standing up from his desk, the Hokage slowly moved around the large wooden workplace and went to stand before Minato to get a better look at the child he carried. Instantly his eyes caught sight of the multiple black marks that covered the girl's body, including the light bruising across her left cheek.

""Odd…" he began, "….I've never seen a child so young bear marks like this in all my years." He stated as he reached a wrinkled hand out and lightly placed it over the girl's brow. At the touch, a sudden shocked and contemplating look appeared on his face, "Hmmm….." he murmured to himself.

"You feel it too, then?" Minato guessed knowingly, referring to the unusual chakra presence that the girl seemed to carry.

"Strange…" The Third stated. .

"I thought so as well." Minato agreed as both men stared down on the small girl's form.

"Where is this girl from, Minato?" the Third asked curiously.

"I wish I knew…" the younger man answered, "…That's why I came here to you; I was hoping you might have some idea."

"Well at the moment, I'm absolutely stumped…" The Hokage confessed with a furrowed brow, "…but I'll see what I can find out. With her particular looks, surely it can't be too hard to trace where she had come from." He answered, "I'm sure we'll have our answers about this child soon enough." He added.

Right as those words left his mouth, a messenger came running in through the open doorway.

"Lord Hokages!" he exclaimed breathlessly as he swiftly crossed the room to where the two men stood. "This just came in!" he informed while he extended out a small, scarlet colored scroll for Hiruzen to take.

Seeing the color of the scroll and what that color meant, the Hokage instantly took the scroll and opened it up. Minato watched with serious eyes,

"What does it say, Hiruzen?" he asked.

As his older eyes finished reading the last line on the paper, the Third Hokage slowly lifted his eyes over to Minato, "The girl's name is Sayomi Yamamoto ." He answered.

"Th…the scroll's about the child?!" Minato asked in disbelief.

Hiruzen nodded his head and read aloud, "Born on the 5th of June at midnight, she's six years of age, and from the small, and very secluded Village of the Wilderness."

Minato's head fell gently to the side as he took in the information, "Village of the Wilderness?" he repeated, "...I can't say I am familiar with that one."

"Not many are...it's a diminutive village located somewhere inside the Country of Lightning...it's insignificantly populated." Hiruzen explained, "...you'll almost never find it on a map."

"I see...what else does the scroll say?"

As the old man scanned the message, he found himself starting to frown, "Her village was attacked early last night by a group of Rogues, and the girl…" Hiruzen clarified while he nodded over to the sleeping child, "…was missing. This letter here was asking us to help find and recover the girl."

"Oh…" Minato replied, "…But with the child already in our possession, I'm guessing that we must now deliver her back to her village?"

"Actually…" Hiruzen replied while looking Minato dead in the eyes, "….no."

Minato raised a confused eyebrow up at the older man's response, "No?" he repeated, "…what do you mean 'no'?"

Averting his eyes back down to the scroll he still had in his hand, Hiruzen shook his head as he reread the message, "The scroll here says that the girl was obviously the objective for the attack, but for reasons unknown." He explained, "After the desolation of the village, out of worry for the child, they've asked us to locate her. However, upon finding her, they've requested that we keep her here in our village instead." The Hokage informed.

"They don't want her to return home?"

The old man closed his eyes gravely and shook his head, "No."

"Why would they do that to her?" Minato argued, "...she's innocent."

Hiruzen sighed, "Well...though they don't entirely blame the girl for what happened...nonetheless, they ruled her presence as a threat to the rest of the village."

Minato frowned with soft anger as he stared down at the little girl he carried, "How disgraceful...a village turning their back on a harmless child..."

"Indeed..." Hiruzen agreed.

A minutes silence befell the room.

"...Do you think it might have something to do with her strange marks or charka presence?" Minato asked.

"It must."

"What could it mean for the child?"

"I don't know...but...we'll accept her village's wishes and we'll keep the girl here with us."

Minato's eyes flickered over to his predecessor, "Keep her here, in Konoha?" he asked.

Hiruzen nodded his head while he slowly rolled the scroll up and turned away from Minato and the sleeping girl to go and stand in front of one of the large windows he had inside his office. " We can at least offer her protection."

"I see…." Minato murmured out loud in quiet understanding.

Sighing, the Third Hokage glanced over his shoulder, back at the little child in Minato's arms with thoughtful eyes, "...but she'll have to be kept under close watch.." He added with certainty.

Minato blinked a few times in silence, not bothering to hide the surprise on his face from the Hokage's statement, "Do you really think that's necessary?" he questioned, "After all…this is just a child we are talking about." He reminded.

"Yes…" Hiruzen replied calmly, "…but nonetheless, she came from outside our village...a village hardly anyone knows anything about." He answered before pausing for a long second. "….and with her looks and…that aura...she'll draw attention to herself wherever she goes, without even trying." he stated before he turned his eyes upon the younger man in the room.

Minato swiftly licked his lips before nodding slowly, "I understand." He confessed.

Hiruzen nodded his head with a soft grunt, "Then it's settled." He murmured. "You and I will see to it personally that she's looked after."He answered. "And in time, who knows? Maybe with some proper training…" He paused briefly in his thought, "...perhaps she can prove to be a very useful asset to our village."

"That's fair." Minato agreed with a curt nod of his blonde head, "...where shall she stay though?"

"Hmm..." Hiruzen thought the question over long and hard for a few moments, "...I believe there's small, empty house on the outskirts of town." He informed, "... the girl can live there."


	5. Interesting Introductions

When Sayomi finally came around, her eyes fluttered opened to a moving blue sky. For a few seconds, she stared blankly at the white clouds passing above her head before she realized that it wasn’t the sky that was moving---it was her. 

Turning her head subtly to the left, her dazed eyes then landed on the flat broad plane that was a firmly muscled chest. In that moment, she also became aware of the two strong arms that were providing gentle support to her frame. 

Wiggling about in this new hold , Sayomi titled her head back so that she could get a better look up into the man’s face, vaguely recognizing the features from the yellow haired, blue-eyed man from earlier.

Feeling the girl's movement as well as her penetrating gaze, Minato looked down and locked eyes with the conscious child. 

Gasping, Sayomi immediately shrunk away in alarm and the man...but to her surprise, the man smiled.

“Hello there.” He greeted, “I'm glad to see that you’re finally awake.” He said.

Not knowing how to reply, Sayomi remained silent and took a moment or two to observe her surroundings--houses, buildings and shops of all shapes and sizes lined both sides as they made their way down a seemingly ongoing street. There was nothing that Sayomi could recognize as familiar--even the scent in the air was different here. And that fact alone told her something---she was far from home.

The girl swallowed, wincing from how painfully dry her mouth and throat currently felt. “Where am I?” she asked softly, cringing as her voice cracked. 

“Konoha of the Hidden Leaf Village.” The man answered with another small smile, “My name is Minato.” He introduced. 

Sayomi blinked as his words sunk in, “Konoha?” she repeated, her brows furrowing with obvious confusion, “….why am I here?” 

Minato swiftly licked his lips and opened his mouth to respond with the explanation he had been practicing over in his head since leaving the Hokage's office. But his answer instantly fled when the sound of some recognizable voices reached his ears.

“Sensei!!” the voices happily cried. 

Slowly stopping in his tracks, Minato turned around to see two of his three students rushing over to him. One was a boy with goggles, the other was a cutely dressed girl. He smiled welcomingly, “Obito, Rin.” He acknowledged with a nod of his yellow head. The two kids halted directly before him.

“We’re glad to see you’ve returned, Sensei.” The girl named Rin stated with a sweet smile as she clasped her hands together in front of her. The boy named Obito nodded his head enthusiastically in agreement.

“Yeah.” He stated with a lopsided grin. It was then that Obito took notice that his Sensei wasn’t alone. And as his attention landed on Sayomi, his dark eyes widened. “Oh!” he exclaimed in surprise, “…well hi there!!” he exclaimed with a wave of his hand. 

Rin spotted Sayomi too and offered a friendly smile, “Hello.” She said.

Sayomi blinked wordlessly before she hesitantly nodded her head in acknowledgement. 

Seeing her unmistakable shyness, both Rin and Obito passed a quick glanced between the two of them before they looked back at Minato.  
“Who’s this, Sensei?” Obito asked curiously.

“Oh….well....” Minato carefully hunched over so that he could gently set the girl he was carrying down onto her own two feet. “This is Sayomi.” He answered, drawing his arms away while straightening up to his full height once more. Standing on her own now, the girl's knees suddenly wobbled underneath her weight. Seeing this, Minato then placed a large, warm hand down upon her shoulder to help steady her. 

Speechless that he knew her name, Sayomi watched Minato with perplexed eyes as he stood behind her. Then, she glanced back at Rin and Obito who were standing in front of her and found the two of them watching her with the same kind of questioning gaze.

Looking them over, they appeared to be twice her age and therefore stood above her by at least a head-- for Obito, it was like a head and a half. Feeling small and cornered by strangers, Sayomi unconsciously took a step back, bumping right into Minato.

“Hey now,” he stated with a soft chuckle as he observed Sayomi’s wariness towards his students, “…it’s alright, Sayomi.” He murmured in a soothing voice. Minato then pulled his gaze up from the small girl who was pressing her back against the front of his legs to look over at his students, “So where’s Kakashi?” he asked curiously.

At the name, Obito rolled his eyes while a noticeable frown pulled down on his lips; “Training…” he grumbled as his arms came up and crossed themselves over his chest. Rin glanced over at Obito briefly before looking back at her Sensei, 

“He said that he’d meet up with us later.” She added. 

“Ah.” He replied with a knowing smile.

“Yeah…” Obito grumbled once again before he set his eyes upon Sayomi once more. Almost instantly, his sour expression melted into one of deep interest and curiosity. “So how come we’ve never seen you around before, Sayomi?” he asked with his head inclining itself to the side.

“Umm….” Sayomi replied with great uncertainty as her eyes flickered back and forth from Obito to Rin who now were both watching her with a look of wonder. Unable to provide an explanation, she casted her eyes down onto the ground.

“Oh…” Minato stepped in, “….well Sayomi is not from our village.” He answered while giving Sayomi’s shoulder an encouraging squeeze.

“Oh!” Rin exclaimed in soft surprise while she politely clasped her hands behind her back, “So you’re visiting?” she guessed.

“Actually….” blonde man answered, “…Sayomi has come to live here in Konoha with us.” 

Sayomi's head snapped upwards as the words instantly formed a knot in the pit of her stomach, “Wh…what?” she exclaimed, feeling suddenly breathless as she turned and moved away, taking a couple frantic steps back from the man and his students. 

Minato noted inimitable look of panic that now shone within Sayomi’s indigo eyes or how her face had paled an entire shade. Well of course she'd be afraid...after all she's been through already, he thought to himself. Sympathy for the little girl instantly washed over him as he extended a hand out for Sayomi to take, “Please...” He murmured. "...don't be afraid..."

But she was petrified and instead, Sayomi shook her aqua green head frantically and took another step back. 

Reading her reaction, Minato slowly and carefully took a step towards her, “Sayomi…” he started.

“No….” she whispered out loud, “…No!” she repeated in a fiercer tone as her head looked wildly from side to side in dread, “I…I can’t stay here…” she declared before she abruptly turned on her heel and took off running down the street, away from Minato, Obito and Rin, “…I need to get home!!” 

“Sayomi, wait!!” Minato’s voice cried after her. But the girl refused to listen. 

Instead, she kept on running, weaving her way down the street of the unfamiliar town, dodging crowds of people in search for an exit. For a quick second, the girl briefly glanced back behind her to see if Minato was following. 

.....he wasn't.

In that moment, from not paying attention to what was going on in front of her, Sayomi felt her body slam rather roughly into a bigger object. The force threw Sayomi off her feet and sent her tumbling back to the ground. 

“Oof!!” she grunted as she landed hard on her back, squeezing her eyes shut from the fall. When they opened a moment later, her eyes locked onto two perfect black orbs that were staring at her from a masked face belonging to a boy years older than herself with wild looking silver hair.

From his position above, he stood tall with his head cocked to the side as he studied her fallen figure. 

Breathing heavily from both her run and fall, Sayomi swiftly got to her feet and brushed herself off---all the while, the boy’s eyes never left her once.  
Noticing his intensive look, Sayomi scowled, “It’s rude to stare you know.” She pointed out. The boy said nothing and raised only a single eyebrow. Annoyed with his silent character, Sayomi raised her chin up daringly before she swiftly moving around him, “Hmpf!” 

The boy’s head followed her movement as Sayomi walked away. 

She had barely taken five steps when a yellow blur rushed on by before it turned into a male figure, stopping just a foot and a half in front of her. Sayomi gasped when her eyes landed on the tall form of Minato who stood with a calm expression upon his face. 

Instinctively, Sayomi tried retreating but Minato, prepared for her resistance this time, closed the distance off in one, long stride before he reached out and took the small girl firmly by her upper arms, preventing any further escape. 

“No Sayomi.” He stated in a low, composed voice as he stared her directly in the eyes. Briefly, Minato looked over her shoulder, sharing a quick glance with the masked, silver haired boy who was watching them a couple feet away. “Kakashi.” He greeted with a nod of his head before he turned his attention back onto the girl in front of him.

“Sensei…” the boy replied in a respectful tone.

Sayomi pulled back on her arms but Minato would not be budged. “Let go.” She demanded, stomping her foot down on the ground to show her growing aggravation for the situation.

Minato shook his head, “I can’t do that, Sayomi. Not if it means you’ll only try running off again.” 

“But you can’t keep me here!” she pointed out as her indigo eyes narrowed disdainfully.

“Essentially…” Minato answer in an easy tone, “I can. And I have every intention of doing so.” He replied. 

It was in that moment when Obito and Rin finally joined back up with them, taking their place alongside the boy named Kakashi. Sayomi’s eyes went across each of the different faces before she bore her gaze right into Minato’s. Boldly, she gave another jerk on her arms.

“You’ve been placed under the watch and protection of the Hokage of this village. By request of your own village.” He informed, pulling the girl closer.

“The Hokage?” Sayomi repeated.

Minato nodded his head, “The one known as Hokage is the one in charge around here.” He explained.

“Then I’ll go talk to him, and tell him to let me go.” she threw back determinedly.

Minato couldn’t help it when the corner of his mouth turned up in a small smile at the girl’s words, “You’ve got spirit, little one.” He stated, “…but…” 

“No buts!” She quickly cut him off, “I want to get out of this place and I want to go home!!” she emotionally declared. "Now!"

Suddenly, the masked boy scoffed out loud, “Wow……” said Kakashi as he eyed the young girl in front of him. 

At his comment, Sayomi’s head snapped around to glare at him, "What?!” she demanded sharply.

“You really don’t know who you’re talking to do you?” he replied in a lazy tone.

Sayomi blinked a couple times in silence before she frowned heavily, “What are you saying?” she returned.

“Minato-Sensei is a Hokage.” Kakashi informed in a cool tone, “He’s the Fourth Hokage of this village.”

Sayomi’s heart constricted inside her chest from dismay---her eyes widened in response to the news, her mouth dropping open. Turning her head back to look up at Minato, Sayomi's indigo eyes met his blue ones in hope that perhaps, the boy was lying. But deep within the man’s blue orbs, though he said nothing, Sayomi could tell by his silence he was confirming the boy's truth. "You?" 

Minato wordlessly nodded his head. 

A lump of emotion settled in the back of Sayomi's throat, "Then...please..." she begged quietly, as she stepped imploringly towards him, "...let me go..." 

The girl's plea was heartwrenching...and Minato's blue eyes closed with resignation, "I'm sorry, Sayomi..." he spoke, his eyes once more opening to stare into the little girl's face, "...but you must stay here.... I can't allow you to return home." Tears sprung to her big, child eyes, threatening to spill down her round cheeks.  
Seeing this, Minato's features softened with incredible compassion. Then, he gently bent down and scooped the small girl back up into his arms with one easy movement. To his surprise, Sayomi did nothing to stop him. She just resided there, head bowed, in his hold without a single word of protest or struggle. 

Glancing over at his three students who were watching them still, he gave them a brief nod before he moved right on past them. “I’ll meet up later, you three. There’s something I must handle first.” He informed. 

The three Students all nodded their heads in understanding before they watched their Sensei and the new girl fade away from sight in a fast, yellow flash. 

When they were gone, Obito turned to his two comrades a moment later, “Well she seems...…” he started but found himself unable to finish his sentence about the girl called Sayomi. Immediately, he looked to Rin for her opinion. 

Softly, Rin nodded her head, knowing full well what Obito was trying to imply.

“Shy to say the least…but she seems like she could be nice.” She stated. 

Obito nodded his dark head in agreement, “Yeah...that’s what I was thinking too.” He agreed while a tiny blush came to his cheeks as he watched Rin. 

She gave him a friendly smile in response before she turned her head to look over at the third member of their team, “What do you think, Kakashi?” she asked curiously. 

Hearing his name, Kakashi glanced over at Rin for a silent moment before replying, “She’s no concern of mine.” He answered. “If anything, she looks like nothing but trouble to me.” He stated coolly.

“Geeze….” Said Obito in an irritated voice, “What right do you have to judge her so quickly?” he asked.

Kakashi shrugged, “You wanted my opinion, so there it is.” He answered.

“Well your opinion isn’t worth squat!” Obito declared as a challenge shone bright within his eyes. 

Kakashi’s eyes narrowed and in perfect synchronization, the two boys took a slow step towards one another. 

“Guys!” Rin’s voice suddenly spoke up as she quickly stepped in between the two boys before a brawl broke out amongst them, “Must you fight over everything?” 

“He’s being unfairly judgmental!” Obito pointed out defensively. 

“Well Kakashi is entitled to his own opinion…” Rin returned in a calm voice. 

At this, Kakashi smirked at him from beneath his mask.

“Riiinn...you’re defending him?!” asked Obito in disbelief. 

Rin shook her head, “I'm not saying I agree with Kakashi....but like everyone else, he is permitted to have his own opinion.” she finished.

Obito gave a sigh of relief before nodding his head, giving a wide grin that showed his obvious pleasure at Rin's answer, “Well...if you ask me, I think there’s more to that girl than meets the eye. There’s something strange about her, don’t you think?” he asked.

Rin thought about his words before nodding her head, “Yes I’d have to agree with you there.” 

The two Genin then started off down the street together, “Coming Kakashi?” Rin called back over her shoulder. Kakashi sighed before he slowly followed after his other comrades as they chattered on about the little girl named Sayomi.

“I mean…did you see the marks she has?” Obito asked Rin, “…they're kind of cool! .....Not as cool as yours though….” Obito finished with a blush and grin. Rin openly laughed.

Meanwhile, Kakashi rolled his eyes, not understanding what the big deal about this girl was. His comrades claim an air of mystery about her...but all he sees is a naïve little girl with a stubborn streak and no knowledge of protocol. Or anything else for that matter. 

Kakashi gave a soft snort--- he had to admit though... the girl had spirit. It was there, reflecting in that distinctive twinkle that came to her eyes when her emotions got the better of her. And it was probably there when she laughs too, the masked boy thought to himself. 

“Her eyes….” Kakashi thought back, remembering how shocking it was when her eyes had first opened and he found himself just swimming inside her two vast pools of indigo. "What a color…” 

And then there were the black stripes that ran across her skin.... 

Now, he has seen a lot in his time as a Shinobi..even as a young one. But not even he can recall seeing its equal on someone else, let alone a tiny girl. It was beyond perplexing...in fact it was outright bizarre. 

Maybe...just maybe...that was why Kakashi found himself actually thinking about the girl now. And then, he mentally kicked himself for doing just that. “She’s just a girl...." Completely insignificant to him--not to mention an outsider to the Leaf Village, according to Minato. 

Even so.... it wasn't easy to push the girl entirely from his mind. So what was the reason for that-- Curiosity??

Perhaps....

Kakashi wasn't quite sure….but a part of him secretly wanted to find out.


End file.
